Netflix is the latest target for notorious hackers

And… they have found their new target! Popular online movie streaming website Netflix has become the new target of cyber criminals where users are made victims of phishing and malware programs to extract confidential details that can be sold at a high price (collectively) in the black market.

Last year, Netflix had announced that the website would finally be available in 190 countries worldwide. Apart from Netflix official reach folks in almost every country around the globe are able to enjoy Netflix either via Netflix VPN or by other tools such as Netflix proxy. The world simply loves Netflix!

The Security Gladiators team has gone out in the wild and done a massive amount of research to bring you a humongous list of thousands of hidden categories for Netflix shows. Find all of your favorite categories with just one click right here.

This increase in popularity makes them more prone to such criminal acts online. Symantec has confirmed in a report that hackers are duping Netflix users and stealing their personal information, which can fetch significant profits in the black market.

They’re doing so by using 2 methods – one which has a malware campaign that creates a fake downloader which makes people believe that they are downloading Netflix app using the actual software.

Instead by clicking on the “make belief” downloader they are actually becoming prone to a Trojan virus named Infostealer. Banload, which is capable of getting access to sensitive details and data.

The second method used is phishing campaigns that target the customers’ with dodgy emails redirecting them to a clone version of the original Netflix website where most users unknowingly spill out their credentials.

Such a phishing campaign was supported to run for the Danish users on the 21st of January, by trying to convince users that their Netflix accounts “needed” to be upgraded, citing that there some issue with the payment for their monthly subscriptions.

Much like other companies like Uber, Netflix too attracts a thriving underground business involving trade in the personal details of the user, most of which are financial. Once the hackers have got their hands on login information (and payment details), they sell them off in the black market at exorbitant rates.

Now you might have heard about some effective Netflix hacks that make users’ Netflix experience even better, but when cyber criminals come into play with their tricks it could definitely be nasty for the users.

Moving on, the purchaser who buys the information is asked to not change login details of the account because that could trigger an alert to the actual holders. The report also cleared that – “The generators’ creators regularly update their databases with new accounts and disable ones that don’t work anymore. Buyers can use this software for themselves or resell the generated accounts on the black market.”

So, what steps can users take to prevent themselves from becoming targets of such malicious acts? Symantec, which has reported such deeds extensively in its report, advises the users to download Netflix app only from the original and official sources of the website. Users, shouldn’t also avail offers of obtaining Netflix at a lower than usual (or impossibly decreased) price as these are often infested with malicious data by Netflix hackers.

Ali is an Internet security research enthusiast who enjoys "deep" research to dig out modern discoveries in the security industry. To be frank and honest, Ali started working online as a freelancer and still shares the knowledge for a living. He is passionate about sharing the knowledge with people, and always try to give only the best.

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